Guide to the Kenneth J. Arrow Papers, 1939-2011

Documents many of Professor Arrow's public speaking engagements and activities at conferences, especially after 1980. These include regular conferences organized by the American Economics Association, the Econometrics Society, the International Economics Association, the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Sante Fe Institute, and other institutions, as well as other trips and engagements.

Includes both administrative work for various committees and institutions, as well as work as a paid consultant on several projects. The latter includes three extended projects, one on economic growth and policy for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, one on climate change for the National Academy of Sciences and one on contingent valuation (the use of surveys to value public goods) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The former includes work for the American Economics Association and International Economics Association, as well as for the City College of New York, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, RAND, the Santa Fe Institute, and other organizations. It also includes a Journals Subseries with Arrow's work on various editorial boards.

Contains files of Professor Arrow's personal political activities. These include especially work for peace in the Middle East, for arms control, in support of human rights and dissidents, and with other causes. These are collected in the Middle East, Arms Control, Human Rights and Miscellaneous Involvements Subseries, respectively. It also includes a UNESCO Subseries for his work for that organization.

Contains files on various individuals. While the series is characterized mostly by correspondence, some files are primarily correspondence with the person, while others are primarily correspondence about the person, such as letters of recommendation or tenure revues.

This series will likely be of most interest to scholars of Professor Arrow's contributions to economic theory. While, like the other series, the bulk of this series dates after 1970, it does include files from earlier periods. The Class Notes and Theses Subseries contains notes from his undergraduate courses at City College of New York and graduate courses at Columbia University, including notes from Professor H. Hotelling's course in Mathematical Economics and a penultimate draft of his Masters Thesis. It also includes notes on meteorology in preparation for his work in the Army Air Corps. A subseries on Notes and Papers by Arrow also contains earlier work. The most extensive files in this subseries include notes on optimization and decentralization, a National Science Foundation project on production functions, stability, and uncertainty.

The rest of the series contains work dating after 1970. The Notes for papers by Arrow Subseries contains drafts and notes for specific papers. The Ongoing Grants Subseries contains several projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. The Notes Subseries contains files of notes relating to various topics, but seemingly unconnected to any specific paper. The last subseries, Festschrift and papers in the history of economic thought, contains files on those activities.

Includes committee, consulting, volunteer, and other work for his universities and their economics departments. It also includes lectures notes and reading materials for courses that Arrow has taught at Stanford and Harvard. It is comprised of the Stanford University Subseries, the Stanford Economics Department Subseries, the Stanford Course Material Subseries, the Harvard University and Economics Department Subseries, and the Harvard Course Material Subseries.

Comprised of the Prizes, Awards, and Honors Subseries, which includes correspondence surrounding his Nobel Prize award of 1970; the Personal (Arrow) Files Subseries, which includes biographical material and interviews, real estate activities, security clearance, and other private files; the Business and Publishers Subseries, which includes reprint permissions and correspondence with publishers; and the Referee Reports, and Book, Grant, and Other Reviews Subseries, which includes reviews of papers, books, and grants.

This addition to the Kenneth J. Arrow Papers consists of office files, chiefly correspondence and memoranda, the bulk of which document Arrow's involvement in public and academic affairs as well as economics between 1989 and 1997.

The addition (2000-0222) (1,800 items, 3.0 linear ft.; dated 1977-1999) primarily contains professional correspondence and writings. The papers demonstrate Arrow's range of activities and responsibilities, especially as a speaker and conference attender. The addition also includes student and project files, including research conducted for the Office of Naval Research.

This addition to Arrow's papers includes mainly professional correspondence, as well as some writings, referee reports, and conference and other materials, covering the years 1980-2000.

The addition (2002-0300) (1,125 items, 1.8 linear ft.; dated [ca. 1981]-2002) contains primarily incoming and outgoing correspondence and writings related to Arrow's professional interests.

The addition (2004-0128) (550 items, 0.8 lin. ft.; dated 1986-2004) contains professional correspondence, public statements, itineraries, and related professional materials.

The addition (2005-0065) (2,100 items; 2.8 lin. ft.; dated 1941-2003) comprises primarily reports, statements, and depositions prepared by Arrow as a consultant or expert witness in legal cases and for regulatory commissions. Among the companies involved are Microsoft, Shell Oil, Verizon, IBM, and AT&T. Also includes diplomas, awards, and honorary degrees received by Arrow.

The addition (2007-0214) (900 items; 1.5 lin. ft.; dated 1978-2004) includes reports, anti-trust court case files, Institute of Medicine materials, and other professional correspondence, articles, and statements.

The addition (2008-0037) (375 items, 0.4 lin. ft.; dated 1941-2007 and undated) contains primarily professional correspondence regarding Arrow's early career; conference attendance; reviews, editorials, and other writing; and honorary degrees.

The addition (2010-0045) (300 items, 0.6 lin. ft.; dated 1990-2005) includes materials from Arrow's research on excess consumption and his various speaking engagements in Barcelona, Israel, and at the Office of Health Economics conference.

The addition (2010-0182) (50 items; 0.2 lin. ft.) includes correspondence, speech drafts, and other materials regarding Arrow's travels and speaking engagements.

Includes correspondence with a number of colleagues and include birthday greetings, declined invitations to conferences, as well as nominations to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Additionally there are many public statements, some of these collaborations; as well as a number of reports by Alain Lewis of the University of California, Irvine.

Files related to conferences and organizations in which Arrow was involved, including correspondence. Arranged alphabetically.